Golf ball retriever

ABSTRACT

A golf ball retriever that has a telescopic handle and an adjustable head. The retriever is unique because the ball passes through the bottom edge by simply placing the retriever over the ball and pressing down on the ball making tabs move in an upward direction. After the ball passes through the bottom edge the spring loaded tabs return to their original position and trap the ball within the confines of the ball retriever. The handle and ball receiver are adjustable to one another via the adjustable head connector allowing the operator to change the position of the head in relation to the telescopic handle. This allows the user to retrieve a ball on uneven surfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Golf ball retrievers are not new to the art. However, the instantinvention is a unique retriever that allows the user to retrieve atleast one ball at a time. The retrievers designed to simply place thehousing over a ball or object to be retrieved and apply a downwardpressure. The spring loaded tabs located near the bottom of the housingmove upward as pressure is applied. The circumference of the golf ballpasses the threshold and the spring loaded tabs return to their originalposition with the ball entrapped within the housing.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,477 issued to Young Dec. 15, 1970 features a golfball retriever that incorporates a spring wire ball-engaging member thatwhen triggered will trap a ball. This requires a set position and atrigger activation to grasp the ball. The instant device requiresneither. The loaded springs keep the instant device actively ready toreceive a ball. The trigger must be manipulated to receive and torelease the ball in Young. With the instant device the housing is placedover the ball, pressure is applied and the ball is entrapped within thehousing. To release the ball the user simply inverts the housing and theball drops out. This makes the use of the instant device much simpler.Young requires the user to set the device to a reception setting andthen to manually release the trigger to retrieve and then to release thetrigger to release the ball from the Young device.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,503 issued to Jeninga issued on Jan. 15, 1985describes a generally U-shaped device with a bail arrangement that isgravity operated. This device is largely different in many aspects;however, the greatest drawback of Jeninga is it requires the user tomanually remove the ball. The instant device is far superior in that thedevice is simply inverted and the ball drops out. This is a distinctadvantage in that most balls are retrieved from water. The golfer doesnot have to directly touch the ball to remove it from the retriever.When the golfer has to manually remove the ball it has become wet andpossibly cover in aquatic material or mud. This causes wet hands orgloves potentially affecting play.

Another embodiment uses hinged tabs instead of the pins and springloaded tabs. The hinged portion is connected to the inside surface ofthe ball receiver. The hinges are spring loaded working essentially inthe same manner as the main embodiment. The retriever is place over aball and pushed downwardly forcing the tabs in an upward motion allowingthe ball to enter the receiver then returning to their original positiontrapping the ball within the confines of the ball retriever.

THE INVENTION

Thus, this invention comprises a golf ball retriever comprising ahousing, a telescopic handle, an adjustable head, at least one springloaded tab, at least one tab pin, at least one spring and at least twotab stops.

The housing has a front, a rear, a bottom portion, and two sides andthere is a telescopic handle having a series of interconnected handlesections that are expandable and collapsible, one section into anotherlike section, the telescopic handle having a near end and a distal end,the handle having a gripping portion on the near end. The handle iscapable of being locked.

The adjustable head is connected to the handle at the distal end of thehandle, and connected to the housing. The head is adjustable in itsrelationship between the handle and the housing in an angular fashion.

The spring loaded tabs are mounted on said pins with the springs locatedbetween the tabs and the housing and there are tab stops locatedadjacent to the tabs and protruding from the bottom portion of thehousing to stop the tabs when the device is in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a full side view of the golf ball retriever with telescopichandle.

FIG. 2 is a full top view of the golf ball retriever.

FIG. 3 is a full end view of the golf ball retriever showing the springloaded tabs.

FIG. 4 is a full end view of the golf ball retriever showing the springloaded tabs travel direction.

FIG. 5 is a full end view of the golf ball retriever housing showing aball passing the threshold.

FIG. 6 is a full end view of the golf ball retriever housing showing aball moved past the threshold.

FIG. 7 is a full top view of another embodiment of the golf ballretriever.

FIG. 8 is full end view of the golf ball retriever housing the springloaded hinges and the direction of travel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a full side view of the golf ball retriever 2 with telescopichandle 14. The ball receiver 4 has a near end 6 and a distal end 8. Thetelescopic handle 14 is attached to the ball retriever 2 at the distalend 8 of the ball retriever. The telescopic handle 14 has near end 16and a distal end 18. The near end 16 of the handle 14 is attached to thedistal end 8 of the ball receiver 8. This attachment is accomplished bythe adjustable head connector 20. The connector 20 has near end 22 and adistal end 24. The near end 22 is attached to the ball receiver 4 whilethe distal end 24 is attached to the near end 16 of the handle 14. Thisembodiment shows a set screw 56 in connector 20 attaching handle 14.

The ball receiver 4 has a top edge 10 and a bottom edge 12. The ballretriever 2 allows the ball 58 to pass through the bottom edge 10 andbecome trapped within the confines of the of the ball receiver 4. Inthis view the ball 58 is present behind the first side 60 in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the golf ball retriever 2. This view betterillustrates the functions of the ball retriever 2. One can observe thehandle 14 and its near end 16 attached to adjustable head connector 20at the distal end 24 of the connectors 20. The near end 22 is attachedto the ball receiver 4 at its distal end 8.

The ball receiver 2 has a ball retrieving mechanism that is made up of atab on each opposing side of the receiver 4. The first tab 26 and asecond tab 28 are supported by a first tab pin 34 and a second tab pin36, respectively. There are at least two bias springs 54 on each thefirst and second tab pins 34 and 36. The first tab 26 has a near end 38and a distal end 40. The second tab 28 also has a near end 42 and adistal end 44. The near end 6 of receiver 4 has two tab stops 30 and 32.These tab stop 30 and 32 stop the tabs from moving beyond the bottomedge 12 of the ball receiver 4. The tabs 26 and 28 move freely in anupward direction but are stopped by the tab stops 30 and 32 from movingbeyond the bottom edge 12 of ball receiver 4, this traps the ball 58after it passes through the bottom edge 12 and retains it within theconfines of the receiver 4. Also shown in this view are the first side60 and second side 62 of the receiver 4.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the golf ball retriever 2 featuring the springloaded tabs. This view is through the near end 6 of the ball receiver 6.The ball receiver 4 has a top edge 10, a bottom edge 12, a first side 60and a second side 62. The first tab 26 and the second tab 28 areattached to each corresponding tab pin 34 and 36. The near end 38 of thefirst tab 34 and the near end 46 of the first tab pin 34 are shown. Thenear end 42 of the second tab 28 and the distal end 50 of the second tab28 are also shown.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the golf ball retriever 2 showing the springloaded tabs travel direction. This view is through the near end 6 of theball receiver 4. The ball receiver 4 has a top edge 10, a bottom edge12, a first side 60 and a second side 62. The first tab 26 and thesecond tab 28 are attached to each corresponding tab pin 34 and 36. Thenear end 38 of the first tab 34 and the near end 46 of the first tab pin34 are shown. The near end 42 of the second tab 42 and the near end 50of the second tab 28 are also shown. This Figure shows the direction oftravel of the tabs 26 and 28. The tab stops 30 and 32 are not shown butit is clear that the tab 26 and 28 move freely in an upward motionallowing the ball 58 to pass through the bottom edge 12. Once the ballpasses the bottom edge 12 the tabs 26 and 28 return via the springs 54and are stopped by the tab stops 30 and 32. This retains the ball 58within the confines of the ball receiver 4.

FIG. 5 shows the ball 58 passing through the bottom edge 12. Both tabs26 and 28 move in an upward direction allowing the ball 58 to enter theball receiver 4. Once the ball passes over half way through the springsreturn the tabs 26 and 28 to their original position trapping the ballinside the ball receiver 4.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the golf ball retriever 4 showing a ball movedpast the threshold. The ball 58 has been trapped within the confines ofthe ball receiver 4. The springs 54 have returned the tabs 26 and 28 totheir original position against the ball stops 30 and 32.

FIG. 7 is a full top view of another embodiment of the golf ballretriever 2. In this embodiment the tabs 26 and 28 are hinged 72 andattached to hinge supports 74 which are in turn attached to the receiver4 at the fasteners 74. It operates essentially the same as the mainembodiment except the hinges 72 allow for movement of the tabs in theupward direction. The springs 54 again return the tabs to their originalposition.

FIG. 8 is full end view of the golf ball retriever 2 housing 4 and thespring loaded hinges 72 and the direction of travel of he tabs 26 and28. This view better illustrates the relationship between the tabs 26,28 and the hinge 72, hinge support 74 and its attachment 70 to thereceiver 4. The ball 58 not shown comes through the bottom edge 12 whenthe user applies pressure in a downward motion forcing the ball into thereceiver 4 while moving the tabs 26 and 28 upward until the ball 58 notshown center diameter passes the tabs and the tabs fall back to theiroriginal position via the urging of the springs capturing the ballwithin the confines of the ball retriever 2.

The operator extends the handle 14 telescopically to reach out intohazards such as water on the golf course. Then the operator lowers thedevice over a ball, as the tab forces the tabs 26 and 28 upward the ballpasses through the bottom edge until the tabs 26 and 28 allow passage ofthe ball 58 to the midpoint or widest portion then the springs 54 forcethe tabs 26 and 28 to their original position against the tab stops 30and 32. The ball is thus trapped within the confines of the ballreceiver 4 and the operator moves the ball retriever 2 to a safelocation and inverts the device thus freeing the ball.

1. A golf ball retriever comprising in combination, a housing, atelescopic handle, an adjustable head, at least one spring loaded tab,at least one tab pin, at least one spring and at least two tab stops;the housing having a front, a rear, a bottom portion, and two sides; thetelescopic handle having a series of interconnected handle sections thatare expandable and collapsible, one section into another like section,said telescopic handle having a near end and a distal end, said handlehaving a gripping portion on the near end, said handle being capable ofbeing lockable; said adjustable head being connected to said handle atthe distal end of the handle, and connected to said housing, said headbeing adjustable in its relationship between said handle and saidhousing in an angular fashion; said spring loaded tabs being mounted onsaid pins with said springs located between said tabs and said housing;tab stops being located adjacent to said tabs and protruding from thebottom portion of said housing to stop said tabs when the device is inuse.
 2. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handleis fixed.
 3. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidhandle is lockable.
 4. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1wherein said housing is large enough for at least one golf ball.
 5. Agolf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handle is ofvariable lengths.
 6. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid receiver is manufactured from a material selected from the groupconsisting of metal, plastic, wood, fiber glass and graphite.
 7. A golfball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable headconnector is fixed.
 8. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1wherein said adjustable head connector is rigidly attached.
 9. A golfball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable headconnector is attached with a set screw.
 10. A golf ball retriever asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable head connector is attachedwith a pin.
 11. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidadjustable head connector is attached with a fastener.
 12. A golf ballretriever as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable head connectoris attached with a bolt and wing nut.
 13. A golf ball retriever asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable head connector is attachedwith a bolt and knob.
 14. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 1wherein said adjustable head connector is attached by adhesion.
 15. Agolf ball retriever comprising in combination, a housing, a telescopichandle, an adjustable head, at least one spring loaded tab, a hingedportion, a hinge support, at least one spring and at least two tabstops; the housing having a front, a rear, a bottom portion, and twosides; the telescopic handle having a series of interconnected handlesections that are expandable and collapsible, one section into anotherlike section, said telescopic handle having a near end and a distal end,said handle having a gripping portion on the near end, said handle beingcapable of being lockable; said adjustable head being connected to saidhandle at the distal end of the handle, and connected to said housing,said head being adjustable in its relationship between said handle andsaid housing in an angular fashion; said spring loaded tabs beingmounted on said hinge with said springs located between said tabs andsaid housing; said hinge being mounted to said hinge support and saidhinge support being mounted to said housing; tab stops being locatedadjacent to said tabs and protruding from the bottom portion of saidhousing to stop said tabs when the device is in use.
 16. A golf ballretriever as claimed in claim 15 wherein said hinge is manufactured frommaterial selected from a group consisting of plastic, metal and wood.17. A golf ball retriever as claimed in claim 15 wherein said tab, hingeand hinge support are unitary.